With Love
by VanillaDaisies
Summary: Evie's sick of being a blundering mess, Tamsin's sick of her reputation as the school's floozy, and an anonymous student seems to be sick of the both of them. Throw in some blossoming romances for the two girls, and watch the chaos ensue.
1. Spaghetti Hoops

With Love

Chapter 1 – Spaghetti Hoops

* * *

**Evie**

_His hands are rough and urgent as his lips attack mine in a manner most hungry. As though he's been craving this moment for a very long time._

_I know what's about to happen here. In fact, I __**have **__been craving this for a very long time. Fantasizing of what could be. Dreaming of the day the elusive Sirius Black would notice me._

_His lips begin to move, leaving a gentle trail of kisses and love bites down my jaw-line, down my neck...slowly they make their enticing journey past my collarbone, grazing softly at the tender skin. His hands slide down my thighs, his fingers clawing at the sensitive flesh, pulling me further towards him. My breath hitches with anticipation as he finally lowers his head, looking intensely up at me from between my thighs._

_His tongue darts out as he quickly licks his lips, his gaze heavy and full of lust, "What's for dinner?"_

"SPAGHETTI HOOPS!"

I groan exasperatedly as I'm ripped back to reality by one of my closest friends, Daisy James, who is currently looking pretty distraught. She always does this. Every single time I try to have a moment of peace, some time to let my mind wander and my brain rest, she quickly interrupts, unaware that I just want to be left alone to fantasize about finally getting laid.

I glance over at my best friend, Emily Liken, who is sat on her bed a few metres away, shaking her head in an amused manner. The Hufflepuff girls' dormitory is empty, other than the three of us. The rest of the students are probably still gathered within the Great Hall, finishing up the Start-of-Term-Feast. However, being our seventh and final year at Hogwarts, the Welcoming Feast has lost its affect. The dormitory is a much more welcoming sight, with its warm yellow hues and charming little plants dotted around the room. It's a cosy little haven. That and the beds at Hogwarts cannot be rivalled. No bed was comfier than those of the Hufflepuff dorm.

"What's this about spaghetti hoops?" I ask with a tired sigh, rolling over onto my side to face Daisy, who is currently sat cross-legged on the hard, wooden floor between mine and Emily's bed.

"I'm not gonna get to eat spaghetti hoops for a whole year now!" She repeats, looking completely distressed with the sudden realisation. She gazes up at me with those large, childlike brown eyes of hers. She's always had a rather young, innocent look about her. What with her long, mousy blonde hair that is near constantly slung up into a ponytail, and her round cheeks. Cute as a button, some would say.

"Daisy, you've been attending Hogwarts for seven years now. I think you can manage one_ final_ year without them," Emily snorts, picking at the duvet which currently sits crumpled in a heap at the bottom of her bed. Despite her rather sophisticated appearance, Emily has always been rather unorganised. Her small portion of the dormitory is constantly cluttered, with her various possessions often scattered underneath her bed. Emily is the only pure-blood of our little trio, and no doubt she's probably never even heard of spaghetti hoops before today's conversation. It just doesn't seem like a delicacy that witches and wizards often find themselves craving.

I eye Emily enviously, taking in her appearance as she continues to pick at a loose thread on her duvet. She's always been quite pretty, with her long, bouncy chocolate curls and her doe-like blue eyes which contrast stunningly with her pale complexion. She has the true look of an English rose.

I've always been rather jealous of Emily and her elegant appearance. Not in an 'I hate you why are you so pretty' way, but in an 'I wish I were more like you' manner instead. I can never quite understand why she chose to be friends with me. Nor does Daisy, sometimes. She constantly vies for her attention. I love Daisy to bits, of course. She's been friends with the two of us since third year, but as some often say, three's a crowd.

I zone back in, just in time to catch Emily's next quip, "Besides, I'm sure the house-elves would be more than happy to go and get you some if you asked," She adds, still picking at a loose thread on her duvet.

I snort in disbelief, "Yeah, they're really gonna just nip to the nearest Asda and pick up a can of spaghetti hoops just for you." I say, although to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the house-elves _did _somehow manage to do that. They're always just so _eager _to help. It's quite endearing in a strange way.

Daisy merely frowns, twiddling her thumbs together nervously.

"Can you believe this is actually our last year here, though?" She asks, glancing between the two of us. I heave a heavy sigh.

No. I can't believe it. Nor do I really want to think about it. Hogwarts has been my home for nearly 7 years now, other than during both Christmas and Summer. It was just so weird to think that in about 10 month's time I will be leaving Hogwarts for the very last time, never to return. I can't quite comprehend it yet. If it was my choice, I'd stay at Hogwarts forever. It's my safe place. I belong here.

"Suppose we'd better make this year memorable then, hadn't we?" Emily states, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She twists her hair up into a bun, loosely tying it, a sign that she's ready to turn in. She never sleeps with her hair loose.

"How'd you suppose we do that? We're all awkward and nerdy as fuck, remember?" I point out, finally kicking my shoes off and turning to grasp a clean pair of pyjamas from the battered trunk at the bottom of my bed.

"Well, we could start by getting you a boyfriend, at the very least! You've had your eye on Sirius Black for how long now?" Daisy grins at me as my face flushes. I'm probably the least experienced of the group. Not by choice, of course. I'm just not very good when it comes to wooing boys. And there's just no way I'd ever have the courage _or_ charm to seduce the schools playboy, Sirius Black. No, I've already accepted my fate. I'm to die alone with no one but my five rescue dogs to keep me company. Talk about living the dream.

"Shush, you! What about you and that Remus Lupin, hmm? I don't see you chatting him up," I fire back, chuckling as its Daisy's turn to blush. We only found out about her little crush last year, and we've been trying to get her to make a move ever since.

"Shut up, the both of you! You're both starting to sound like that Tamsin Birchley!" Emily laughs, throwing a sock at Daisy, who merely rolls to the side as it shoots over her head, bouncing off the dormitory door.

As if on cue, the door begins to open, and in walks the devil. Tamsin Birchley.

Now, Tamsin Birchley has a reputation. She's the schools floozy. Rumours of her sexual escapades often spread throughout the school like wildfire, each one as scandalous as the one before. The worst bout of gossip being the tale in which she'd had a rather intense affair with our sixth year Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Applethought. Needless to say, the young professor had left after only a year of teaching.

Tamsin just has that seductive look about her. Her catlike green eyes are bright and piercing, as though she's staring straight into your soul. Her raven hair hangs down her back like a veil of darkness, and the faint coating of freckles that dust her straight, angular nose only add to her charm. She has a sensual beauty about her that just seems to draw people in.

She doesn't have many friends from what I can tell. In fact, she nearly always seems to be on her own. She's not massively popular among the girls, and is often subject to jealous insults when she isn't present. Still her confidence never seems to waver, and I can't help but admire her for it. A girl like her definitely wouldn't have a problem with talking to men. I can't help but wonder if she's already been successful in wooing the flirtatious Sirius Black.

"Hi, girls!" She smiles cheerfully at us, giving a small wave as she heads over to her bed, slowly pulling her school robe off.

Daisy and I mumble an awkward hello, whilst Emily completely blanks her. Emily has never been a big fan of Tamsin. I can't really understand why. Sure, Tamsin and her reputation are slightly intimidating, but she seems nice enough. She has this calm sort of demeanour about her, and even when she's being ridiculed for her sexual escapades she always manages to hold a strong air of dignity around herself. Like I said, admirable.

Upon the arrival of Tamsin I note the uncomfortable silence that has fallen over the room. Instead, each of us has become determinedly busy with readying ourselves for bed. An awkward tension hangs in the air. It's always awkward with Tamsin in the room. I don't know why, though. Even the arrival of the other two Hufflepuff seventh year girls, Lindsay and Joanna, the latter of whom is a prefect, does nothing to lessen the slight feeling of unease that seems to embrace the room.

I sigh to myself quietly as I finally curl up under the duvet, mentally preparing myself for the awkward nights to follow for the next 10 months.

* * *

**Tamsin**

I noticed the awkward silence that had fell as soon as I'd entered the dormitory.

It's been the same for the past five years, and I doubt it's about to change anytime soon.

Funnily enough, we'd all gotten along decently for the first two years at Hogwarts. Sure, I've never exactly been friends with the other Hufflepuff girls, but they'd been welcoming enough at the time. But of course, things never stay the same.

I'm fully aware of my 'scandalous' reputation. I don't quite understand the stigma that's attached to it. In my mind, there's nothing wrong with a girl being comfortable with exploring her sexuality. I'm free to do what I want with my body, as is everyone else.

It seems that the main cause of the awkwardness is Emily. She's the 'it' girl of the Hufflepuff community. Little miss perfect, and the other two, Daisy and Evelyn do whatever she asks. They're like two little puppy dogs, constantly trying to please their owner.

Daisy's always come across as a bit of a drip to be honest. Evelyn, on the other hand, seems alright when she's on her own. I've always thought she was awkwardly cute. She's tiny, with mousy brown hair that's cut just above her shoulders, always carefully tousled, and large brown eyes that are framed by long, dark lashes. She always seems to be in a world of her own, a dazed look on her face as though she's constantly in some sort of dream land.

I've always sort of envied her friendship with the two others. They always have each other's back. Sort of like Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings. Sometimes, it feels like I have no one other than myself. Sure, I'm good friends with Sophie Church, who has a reputation that rivals my own. But she's a Ravenclaw. When it comes to classes and evenings in the common room, I'm pretty much alone.

I'm hated and judged by the girls. Lusted after and generally disrespected by the boys. I can't pin all of the blame on them of course. I don't exactly help myself. Often I avoid socialising with others, preferring to keep to myself. Maybe if I give people the chance to actually get to know me, I won't be judged so harshly?

I roll over in my bed, the sound of Daisy's soft snores keeping me awake.

This is it. My final year at Hogwarts. My last chance to make friends. I'm _actually_ going to make an effort this year. I _want_ to be one of those kids who leave school and somehow manage to keep in touch with all my old buddies. I don't want to leave school and not have anyone to reminiscence with about the good old school days. These are meant to be the best years of my life, and I'm going to make damn sure of that.

No more sitting back and expecting things to be handed to me.


	2. Boys Kinda Suck

With Love

Chapter 2 – Boys Kinda Suck

* * *

**Evie**

I'm late.

First day back and of course I've somehow managed to sleep in. I'm notorious amongst the teachers for being seemingly incapable of turning up to lessons on time. In fact, a large amount of my weekends have been spent in detention for this exact reason.

I pant loudly as I scuttle down the deserted corridors of the school, a piece of half eaten toast smothered in jam held in my hand. McGonagall's going to kill me. She hates it when people are late. I mean, out of all the lessons I could've been late for on my first day back it just _had _to be Transfiguration, didn't it? Hopefully she'll be in a good mood and refrain from granting me a detention just yet.

I snaffle another chunk of my breakfast, desperately trying to chew as quickly as possible. Luckily the kitchens are right next to the Hufflepuff common room, so I was able to pay a quick visit to the house-elves without making myself much later than I already was. No way would I be able to function without breakfast.

I manage to shove the last piece of toast in my mouth as I round the last corner, the classroom door now in sight. I'm only around ten to fifteen minutes late, surely McGonagall will let this one slide.

Leaning against the cold stone wall beside the classroom door, I place my hands on my knees, breathing heavily through my nose as I attempt to chew the last mouthful of toast that I've somehow managed o crush into my gob. It's proving rather difficult.

"Glad to see I'm not the only one who's late,"

I choke on my toast, surprised at the sudden company. My shock is only heightened when I glance up, locking eyes with none other than Sirius Black. I scream internally. Fuck. _Why _does it have to be him? Why, when I'm a panting, flustered, toast-chewing mess?

"I-I slept in," I stutter, once I manage to swallow the mush that is now my toast. He doesn't need to know this, of course, nor does he care, but my mouth seems to have a will of its own, and I can't stop myself from passing on this useless piece of information to the boy I've been crushing on since fifth year.

"Sounds about right," Sirius snorts, running a hand through his dark, tousled locks. It's quite comforting to know I'm not the only student today who'd failed to wake up on time.

I smile awkwardly as we stand in silence for a few seconds, unsure of what to do next. Sirius merely flashes that usual smirk of his. The smirk that somehow always manages to send an array of butterflies fluttering through my stomach.

"Well," He begins, his voice laced with sarcasm, "Are we just gonna stand here all morning or are you gonna open the door?" His smirk widens, and I feel my face flush as I realise I've been blocking the door.

"Oh..sorry...yeah," I grasp the handle, about to open the door when he speaks again.

"By the way, you have jam on your face," Sirius states, flashing me a grin.

I groan heavily and step away from the door, quickly wiping my face with the sleeve of my robe. Sirius merely takes over, opening the door instead and stepping into the classroom, with me following closely behind. My face is burning. Of course I have jam on my face. The one time he actually speaks to me and I have a slob of flipping _jam_ on my face. Great.

Thankfully, McGonagall isn't too angry at us for being late. We're merely fixed with a piercing stare, and warned sternly not to make being late a habit. I am however, put out to see that my usual seat is taken up by a rather smug looking Daisy, who looks thrilled to be seated next to Emily for once. Usually I always sit with Emily. It's always me and her. Who am I meant to sit with now?

My eyes fall upon the only empty seat in the classroom, right next to Tamsin Birchley. I awkwardly hurry over to the seat, ungracefully plopping myself down on the wooden chair, glancing over at Sirius who has taken his usual seat next to James Potter. Those two are near enough inseparable, along with Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, who both occupy the desk in front of them.

"You've got jam on your face by the way, did you know?" A voice whispers beside me, and I turn to face Tamsin, who's staring at me with a small smile on her face. "Just here," She points at the corner of her own lips, and I let out a small sigh, using the sleeve of my robes once again to wipe my mouth. Glancing around the classroom sheepishly, I'm shocked to lock eyes with Sirius for a second time, who is smirking back at me, seemingly amused by my jam predicament. Could I _be_ any more of a state right now?

Thankfully, McGonagall doesn't give me much time to dwell on my awkwardness. First classes back are always very serious. Each teacher always has a long speech prepared, about the trials and assignments we will be facing throughout the year. My first few years at Hogwarts, I'd always zoned out during these introductory speeches, but now, in my seventh and final year, I know better. I have to pay attention. Good grades don't come to me naturally. I'm not blessed with brains. I have to work hard at it. I have to stay prepared and organised. The grades I achieve this year will definitely make a long-lasting impact on my future career path. I can't risk failing. Though I'm not set on what I want to do once I've left Hogwarts, I quite like the idea of becoming a Healer at St. Mungo's, like my mother. It's a hard job, but rewarding, and she seems to enjoy herself. My father's career is much less exciting. He's a muggle, and therefore has settled with a career as an engineer. Often he seems to envy the wizarding world, and I can tell that he wishes he'd been blessed with the same magical ability as my mother.

I let out a small sigh, sitting up straighter in my chair, my quill positioned over my parchment, ready to focus, however, my mind begins to wander. Before I know it, my eyes have made their way back to Sirius, who is sat using his quill as a sword, battling intensely with James.

What I wouldn't give to be able to not give a fuck and still pass my classes.

* * *

Around forty minutes later and I'm hastily shoving my parchment, which is now adorned with notes and doodles, into my bag. I've got Care of Magical Creatures next, and there's no way I'm going to risk being late to another class. I glance up to see Emily and Daisy have left already. Hopefully they're waiting for me outside the classroom.

Tamsin is still packing her things away as I make my speedy exit, wanting to catch up with my friends as soon as possible to ask why they didn't bother waking me up this morning. Unfortunately, in my haste, my face soon meets someone's broad chest, and I stumble backwards, clutching my Transfiguration text book tightly. There's an impatient tut, followed by a 'watch where you're going, idiot!' before my eyes fall upon none other than Jeremy Liken, Emily's 'handsome' twin, and the schools most notorious bully.

He's a Slytherin, and like most of the students in his house, he's an absolute prat. His arrogance and cruelness are unrivalled. Some of the other female students seem to think he's amazing, but I know better. He's awful. The only reason I'm usually exempt from his bullying is due to the fact that he's scared Emily will tell their parents about his antics. Unfortunately, Emily isn't here with me right now, and I immediately begin to feel apprehensive as a nasty smile makes its way onto his chiselled face.

"Look who it is, ickle Evie! I'm surprised to see you without Emily for once. Tell me, how does it feel to finally have removed your head from her arse?" Jeremy asks in a tone that feigns friendliness. His friends snigger, and my face burns. A few nearby students stop to stare uncertainly.

"Jeremy, can you _not,_" I reply. I'm not in the mood for this. I'm not exactly having a great day here, and the last thing I need is to become the laughing stock amongst him and his cronies.

He doesn't reply straight away, instead he quickly grabs my Transfiguration textbook from my grasp, flipping through the pages carelessly. He stops on a particular page, and my heart stops as I note that it's full of doodles. One in particular catches my eye, and apparently his too.

"What's this?" He glances at his friends, his eyes shining with malice as he lets out a loud laugh, "E + S? The little saddo's even drew a heart around it!" My face burns as he points out my little declaration of love to his friends, who all begin to snigger. All I need now is for him to find out about my crush on Sirius and the whole school will be laughing at me for weeks. I curse myself for being childish enough to doodle my crush's initial in my school book. What am I, twelve?

I try to snatch the book from his grasp, but he holds it high above his head. People are beginning to stare even more now, and I can feel my face reddening further. "C'mon Jeremy, just give me it back please!" I say desperately, admitting defeat. Insulting him will only make this worse. I just want to get to class.

"Stop being such a twat, Jeremy," An exasperated voice joins the fray, and I quickly wheel round. I don't know whether I'm more surprised at the concept of someone standing up to Jeremy, or the fact that it's Tamsin who's defending me. Jeremy seems to share my shock, as his jaw slackens slightly, his face going blank.

"T-Tamsin," He blinks stupidly, for once not looking his usual cool and collected self. She stops beside me, her face showing nothing other than indifference as she stares up at the tall, dark haired boy, whose face now looks rather flushed. His friends glance between the two, apparently confused.

"Just give Evie her book back and leave her alone," Tamsin states, her stony gaze unwavering.

To my surprise, Jeremy hands the book back to me immediately, looking rather embarrassed. I blink in bewilderment, my eyes flitting between both Tamsin and the abashed boy in front of me. I've never seen Jeremy allow someone to boss him around before. A pang of satisfaction shoots through me, and I make a mental note to tell Emily. She'll think this entire situation hilarious. She and her brother have always been at odds.

"I was just kidding," Jeremy defends, shoving his hands in the pockets of his robes, as he stares down at Tamsin, "No need to get your knickers in a twist," He adds, attempting to save face in front of his friends. Tamsin merely shakes her head in reply.

"Yeah, how hilarious, picking on girls," She replies sarcastically, rolling her eyes, "You weren't so tough during our last little meeting, though, were you? Or have you forgotten about that?"

A few of Jeremy's friends splutter in shock, as his face reddens. I have no idea what Tamsin is referring to, but judging by the look on his face, it's not something he wants her to share. He glowers at her, before muttering 'C'mon' to his friends, who slope after him as he makes his swift exit down the corridor. The nearby students begin to move on, talking excitedly about the small showdown between the two, and I turn to Tamsin curiously.

"Don't let Jeremy boss you around, he's soft as shite," She states, before I can even begin to question what the fuck just happened, "We got together last year one time. We were making out and apparently I bit him too hard and he cried."

I snort loudly, making yet another mental note to inform Emily of this information. The great Jeremy Liken isn't so tough after all.

"Well, thanks for that. It's nice to see him get a taste of his own medicine for once," I say, flashing her a weak grin. Truth be told, I feel slightly shaken. Tamsin smiles back brightly, and I can't help but notice how pretty her smile is. I've never seen her smile properly before, she's almost constantly got this resting bitch face sort of expression.

"I'll see you around, Evie," She nods at me, before hurrying off down the corridor to her next class. Fuck. How late am I to _my _next class?

I glance down at my watch, seeing that I have exactly two minutes left to make it outside and down to the Care of Magical Creatures paddock. There's no way I'm being late twice in one day.

With that thought in mind I begin my rushed journey to my next class, praying that the rest of my day improves. I'm only one lesson in to my final year at school and I already need a power nap. _Perfect_.

* * *

**Tamsin**

The library is relatively full when I head up during lunch.

I'm surprised, to be honest. It's not usually this busy, especially not on the first day back. It seems as though the teachers are becoming a lot stricter when it comes to homework.

I notice a table near the back of the room, which is rather empty, except for one person. I think his name is Remus Lupin? He's in our year, and he hangs round with Potter and Black. He seems to keep to himself, and he's probably not likely to bother me if I sit at the table. It's a pet peeve of mine, when people try and talk to me when I'm reading.

"Is anyone sitting here?" I ask, in a quiet yet polite tone, not wanting to disturb any of the other students, or attract the wrath of the school librarian, Madam Pince. She only took over the position around three years ago, but already she's made her authority well known.

Remus glances up quickly, apparently momentarily surprised by the interruption. He flashes me a faint smile and shakes his head, "No, go ahead,"

I quickly sit down, pulling a book out before shoving my bag under the table. Currently, I'm reading _Carrie_. It's a muggle book, and only came out a few years ago. Both my parents attended Hogwarts, however, my mother is muggle-born. She has an extensive collection of muggle books, and no doubt I inherited her passion for reading. I have quite a vast collection of literature myself, both of magical and muggle origin. I thumb through the pages, finding my spot about midway through the book. My bookmark consists of a tattered piece of parchment, which has been doodled upon consistently throughout the years. I'm just about to begin when someone clears their throat to my right. I glance up, exasperated to see none other than Jeremy Liken standing beside my seat. What does this prick _want?_

"Can I help you?" I ask, trying my best to keep any source of sarcasm or irritation in my voice at bay. The last thing I want is to cause a scene within the library, and get chucked out. This is my safe haven.

"Look, I just wanted to apologise for what happened earlier with Evie. I didn't know you were friends," Jeremy began, plonking himself in the chair beside me, his blue eyes wide and earnest. "To be honest, I didn't even know you had friends."

I raise my eyebrows, a loud snort erupting from my mouth, as I stare at him in disbelief, "Wow, thanks. This apology is something else," I state in a monotone voice. I can see Remus glancing up out the corner of my eye, and I make a mental note to get this over with as quickly as possible. I don't want to disturb anyone.

Jeremy appears to realise his mistake. His eyes widen further and he quickly shakes his head, "N-no! I didn't mean it like that! I just mean- Look, I didn't come here to _just _apologise." He says as he composes himself, shrugging off his error.

"So, what did you come here for?" I ask lowly, finally putting my book down and as I turn to face him. I allow myself to prop my chin upon my hand, feigning interest. Truth be told, I kind of already know what Jeremy's about to ask me. He did the same thing last year. Asked me on a date, then cancelled the date and instead convinced me to join him in the broom cupboard instead. There's no way I'm falling for it again, not after his mediocre performance.

"Remember last year, when I asked you on that date? And how we never got round to it?" He began, confirming my suspicions, "Well, how about we actually make it happen this time, and afterwards we can have another special little trip to your dorm," He smirks, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. It's as though he thinks he's just offered me the opportunity of a life time. It takes a lot of self restraint to refrain from knocking him off his chair.

"Look, I'll be honest with you, Jeremy," I begin, keeping my tone light and friendly, a fake smile plastered on my face. Jeremy leans closer slightly, our faces merely inches apart, "I'd rather shove my head up a Thestrals arse."

The look on his face is priceless, and Remus suddenly begins to snigger from behind his book, which he tactically turns into a cough, disguising his amusement. Jeremy stands up quickly from his seat, his face reddening as he glowers down at me, apparently offended.

"As if I'd want to go out with a slag like you anyways," He snaps, not bothering to keep his voice down this time. "I bet the whole school's had a go by now!"

"_Goodbye, _Jeremy," I reply, eyeing him coolly, before turning back to my book, fully aware that our little spat has garnered the attention of the majority of students within the library. Jeremy turns on his heel and makes a hasty exit.

I don't feel embarrassed, just slightly exasperated. It's only my first day back, and someone's already called me a slag. Great. I glance over the top of my book, rolling my eyes as a group of girls nearby begin to whisper excitedly, their gazes flashing to me every few seconds. It's as though they're not even attempting to hide the fact that they're bitching about me. No doubt my little run in with Jeremy will spread like wildfire.

I sigh heavily, my eyes falling upon the boy who sits opposite me. He's watching me too, although he quickly lowers his gaze upon realising I've noticed. He probably just came up the library for some peace and quiet, and I've gone and disturbed it with my little quarrel with Jeremy. I suppose I'd better apologise.

"Sorry if I've disturbed you." I tell Remus, flashing him an apologetic look.

He shakes his head in response, a shy smile making its way onto his face. "Don't worry about it," He pauses, his eyes flickering to the book held in my hands. He looks rather awkward, and after a moment of hesitation, he asks, "What are you reading?"

I close the book yet again, placing it on the table in front of me. I was wrong about him not interrupting my little reading session, however, I find myself not minding. I don't know much about him, but he seems alright. Sure, he hangs round with the biggest prats in Gryffindor, but he always seemed different in comparison. Quiet and mysterious. Quite the opposite to his attention-seeking friends.

"Carrie. It's a muggle book, only came out a few years back," I reply, tapping the cover of the book delicately, "It's quite good actually, I'm not usually a massive fan of horrors...d'you read much?" I ask, deciding that it might be quite nice to converse with someone about books for once. My only friend, Sophie, doesn't read much. I can only imagine the bored expression on her face if I attempted to discuss reading materials with her.

Remus nods in reply, setting his book down too, "I usually stick to wizarding books, though,"

"Pureblood, I take it?" I quiz. Not that it matters of course, I'm just curious as to why he doesn't indulge in muggle books as much. They're actually quite interesting. It's allows me to view the world from a muggle point of few, and often leaves me baffled at how they manage to get along so well without magic.

Remus shakes his head, "Half-blood," He tells me.

"Same as me then. I get all my books from my mother, she's obsessed with reading," I state, smiling faintly.

It feels good, as Remus and I begin to chat about our favourite books, comparing magical and muggle books, pointing out the various differences. It makes me realise that talking to people isn't actually so bad and that making friends isn't _that _hard. I just have to be more open, and willing.

Maybe this year _will _be different.


End file.
